Tooth-cleaning device.



PATB TE JULY 31, 1906.

P. F. ROAGH.

TOOTH CLEANING DEVICE. APPLICATION IIILED 001'. 31, 1906.

THE NORRIS PETERS co., wnsnmaram n. c.

iinolsavlnal. 1

; UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

, TO WILLIAM M; CURRAN, "OFHARTFORD, CONNECTICUT.

TOOTH-CLEANING DEVICE.

' I Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed October 31, 1905. Serial No- 285.309.

den and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and! useful Improvements in Teeth-Cleaning Devices, of which thelfollow ing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in teeth-cleaning devices, theobject thereof be ing to provide an article of this class which may be used either to hold a piece of dental floss subtended between two suitable supports or to hold a suitably-prepared swab of cotton or other material to the end that the same article may be used for passing the floss between the teeth or for brushing or cleansing the exposed faces of the teeth; and having these ends in view the invention consists in the construction which will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the drawings, in which scale, in the plane of line 2 2, Fig. 1, and v Figure 1 is a perspective view of a handle part on one end of which posts are mounted to hold the floss or the cleansing-swab. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional view, on an enlarged shows the manner of supporting the posts, whereby itmay be swung from horizontal to vertical position, means bein provided to hold it in either position. Flg. 3 is a sectional elevation showing a slight modification of the construction shown inFig. 1. 4 is a sectional elevation similar to Fig. 3, but

showing the posts swung down into the plane of the handle portion and showing a-cleansin -swab attached to the posts, whereby it is he d firmly against the handle portion.

In carrying my invention into practice the handle a is made of any. suitable material in the same manner as the handle of an ordinary tooth-brush, and near each end of that part which in the ordinary construction receives the bristles a slot or channel I) is formed longitudinally thereof, the inner ends of which slot are deepened, as shown in Fig. 2, to form a cavity for the reception of a spiral spring 0 and a flat washer d. This washer forms a platform onwhich the post 6 is seated, this post, as shown in the drawings, having a flat base and being pivotally supported on a pin or pins f centrally over this washer. On one side of the base of the posts is a projection g,

which constitutes a stop and which will prevent'the posts from being easily swung to- Patented July 31, 1906; 1

ward each other, the opposite side of the basev being so constructed as to permit the posts to swing away from each other, whereby, as

serving to hold these'pos'ts firmly in either position. The construction whichI prefer is that which is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, in which the spiral spring 0 and the washer d are used. A legitimate modification, however, of this construction is shown in Fi s. 3 and 4, which consists in extending the s 0t 1) through the surface of the handle part between the two posts and instead of fitting a separate spiral spring and washer under each post of locating a flat spring 72, in the slot 6 and securing it therein midway between the posts, the free ends of the spring extending in either direction to a point under each post and out. of contact with the bottom of the slot 6, the action of these ends of the spring being against the under side of the posts, whereby the same resultwill be obtained as with the spiral spring.

Each of the posts 1s provided with a slit 1', near the outer end thereof, of such width that a' piece of dental floss 7c or like material may be drawn into these slits and tightly held therein to hold the floss subtended between the posts and far enough away from the handle portions to permit the floss to be passed between the teeth as desired.

When it is desired to cleanse the teeth, instead of the floss a suitable pad or swab m is used, such as is shown in Fig. 4, which is provided with a cord or thread extending through it lengthwise, whereby it may be tightly secured to the handle part between the posts. In this case, however, the osts are swung downwardly away from eac other into the slot 1), the thread extending through the pad or swab and to which the latter is secured, being first slipped into the slits y'and the posts then turned down to horizontal position, as shown, whereby the thread will be subtended between the posts in the same manner as though the latter were in the position shown in Fig. 1, thus stretchin the pad or swab over the surface of the andle in position which permits its use in the same way as a brush is used. As the posts are swung down the thread will slip in the slits 9'; but it fits tightly enough to be drawn taut between the posts when the latter are down.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is

1. A teeth-cleaning implement comprising a suitable handle part, posts pivotally mounted near one end thereof to swing toward and from each other, and means to subtend a thread or the like between the ends of the posts.

2. A teeth-cleaning implement comprising a suitable handle part, posts pivotally mounted near one end thereof to swing toward and from each other from horizontal to vertical position, a slot or slots in which said posts are mounted, and means to subtend the thread or the like between the ends of the posts.

3. A teeth-cleaning implement comprising a suitable handle part, posts pivotally mounted near one end thereof, there being a cavity in the handle part beneath said posts, and a suitable spring in said cavity to bear against the bottom of the posts to hold the latter firmly in vertical or horizontal position, and means to subtend a thread or the like between the ends of the posts.

4. A teeth-cleaning implement comprising a suitable handle part, posts pivotally mounted near one end thereof, a spring located between the handle part and the bottom of said posts to hold the latter firmly in vertical or horizontal positions, a projection on the base of said posts to limit the swinging movement thereof in one direction, and means to subtend a thread or the like between the ends of the posts.

PATRICK F. ROACH. Witnesses:

FRANK E. PRESTON, ARTHUR O. BISGOOD. 

